Chairman Hal Rogers Floor Statement on the Providing Local Funding for the District of Columbia Act

Washington, Oct 1 -

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers gave the following statement on the House floor today in support of the Providing Local Funding for the District of Columbia Act, which allows the District to utilize its local funding at an annual rate of $6.9 billion until December 15, 2013:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation to keep the District of Columbia operating as usual while Congress works to sort out its fiscal differences.

“This is a clean funding mechanism – nearly identical to what was included in the initial, clean continuing resolution I introduced on September 10.

“This legislation gives the District access to local funding at the current, annual rate of $6.8 billion, until December 15, or until full-year appropriations have been signed into law. This funding is solely local, and does not come out of the federal coffers.

“These funds will support critical District programs that its citizens rely on – law enforcement and safety, schools, and other essential municipal activities.

“This legislation will help clean up one portion of the difficulties caused by a shutdown, and it makes one more critical next step toward reopening the entire federal government.

“We must keep our eyes on the prize – and that is providing each and every agency, program, and department with full-year, updated appropriations, and ending this shutdown as soon as possible.